Why it is important to sleep early (Dr. Mercola)

[Scepcop]

Here is a great video by Dr. Mercola about why it's important to sleep early. It makes a lot of sense. But I had never heard before that it was best to sleep in pitch black and that even a little light, like from a night lamp, was bad for you. Interesting. Is that true?

[Nostradamus]

I have never heard of most of these claims. In fact, I usually hear the opposite. I hear that night lights are important for safety. I have never heard that working third shift is bad for your health. I have never heard that any light exposure is bad. People have lived above the Arctic circle for thousands of years. It's always light up there during the summer and always dark during the winter.

According to
"Synthesis and secretion of melatonin is dramatically affected by light exposure to the eyes. The fundamental pattern observed is that serum concentrations of melatonin are low during the daylight hours, and increase to a peak during the dark. "

"The duration of melatonin secretion each day is directly proportional to the length of the night."

This differs from plants in which even brief light exposure resets the clock.

Are there other sources for this type of information about sleep?

[NinjaPuppy]

I don't sleep well with a night light or any light in the room. I find myself waking up more or at least notice that I wake up more. Even the little power light on the TV can make me notice it when I wake up from a dead sleep. Yet I can sleep very well in full daylight when it's time for a nap.

[Nostradamus]

My wife can fall asleep in a car in broad daylight even if she is the driver.

[Nostradamus]

Thanks for the info Scepcop. Sleep is so poorly understood. I break almost all of the rules Mercola listed making me think about what I am doing.